


The War is Over and We Are Beginning

by thought



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, D/s, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-18
Updated: 2015-09-18
Packaged: 2018-04-21 10:07:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4824836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thought/pseuds/thought
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which, unsurprisingly, Team Teal are the sort of people who celebrate the end of a war with sex. Apparently, so is Vanessa Kimball.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The War is Over and We Are Beginning

When it's over, there's a party. What is quite possibly the entire population of armonia is crushed on the grounds of the Legislature, overflowing out into the streets and hastily opened bars and cafes. Kimball and Doyle make a speech --that is to say, they stand close enough to be caught in the frame of a camera lens and pass the mic back and forth with increasingly forced politeness-- and in the absence of Epsilon Carolina finds herself as de facto translator, stumbling over words and letting sentences trail in her rush to keep up. It shouldn't be possible for a robot to look smug, but Lopez, leaning up against the remains of Sarge's adopted warthog, somehow manages it.

Grif and Simmons are sitting on the grass in front of her, sharing a concerningly unlabeled glass bottle of cloudy liquor. Grif's broken leg is stretched carefully out in front of him and Caboose and Donut are hunched over the cast with a handful of permanent markers. Carolina's standing between Tucker and wash, the latter ignoring the speech entirely and deep in conversation with Emily and Sarge. Doc and Bones are directly behind her, having bonded earlier over their aggressive concern for Carolina's definitely-not-broken ribs and the definitely-not-third-degree burns across Sarge's back.

Carolina's on enough pain killers thanks to the healing unit that even with her enhanced metabolism she's not willing to risk drinking. Some might say that downing a couple low-grade amphetamine tablets with a cup of shitty instant coffee is barely a better choice, but Carolina knows what the adrenaline crash after this sort of week will be like and she's not ready to deal with that yet. Most everyone had taken the afternoon lull post-battle pre-party to catch a few hours of sleep, but she'd spent it in the remains of the military base with Tucker while they died each other's hair toxic blue-green and made ultimately fruitless attempts to put their mourning for Epsilon into words. Wash had been with Doyle and Emily. She hasn't yet had a chance to talk to him, but he's projecting 'hardened military veteran' with a sprinkling of 'brave little toaster' like a radio tower, and as much as it makes her skin crawl with shame to admit, she doesn't really know how to talk to Wash anymore.

A cheer goes up when the speech is finished, loud enough that Carolina can feel the ground vibrate under her boots. The noise is deafening and goes on and on, wrapping around her and blanking out everything else. The crowd shifts, presses in like a living thing, and Carolina stumbles back into Bones. The older woman wraps a supportive arm around her waist and Carolina lets her hold her weight, just for a few seconds. Tucker's got his arms in the air, dancing in place to a beat in his head. She watches him spin into Wash's orbit and out again, back and forth with the push/pull of the crowd. Wash meets his gaze at one point when they're close, and Tucker lets his arms fall, hands resting like nesting birds on Wash's shoulders. Wash tilts towards him, his forehead coming to rest on Tucker's shoulder where the t-shirt is stretched out of shape and a patch of skin is revealed. He stays there, slumped. Carolina breathes in and out three times, and then Wash pushes away, straightens his spine like putting a uniform back on. Tucker's hands slide down his arms But Wash shrugs them off. He says something she can't hear, but Tucker nods slightly, drops his hands to his sides. Wash turns back into the little cluster of him and Emily and Sarge. Sarge rests a hand on his shoulder.

Carolina tips her head as far back as it'll go and looks up at Bones' upside-down. There's a bandage on her left temple, dried blood still flaking out of her hair.

"We did it!" Carolina yells, laughing. Bones grins down at her, pushes her head back upright. Carolina sways forward with the motion and into Tucker's back. For a minute she thinks they're going to start a chain of falling dominos, but he catches his balance. Something jabs her in the hip and she looks down. He's got his sword hanging from his belt. She laughs again.

Tucker sees where she's looking. "I'm the chosen one!" He crows. "swish swish, motherfucker."

She rolls her eyes. "We're all very proud. Remind me which one of us blew up an entire enemy ship with a flame thrower and a tree branch."

"At least I never got thrown off a cliff."

She shoves him. "Just means you weren't trying hard enough."

The cheers have died down enough that she can hear a few competing sound systems blaring music from small speakers. Further away a group of people start chanting. Somewhere glass shatters and she can feel as Tucker's body snaps rigid with tension. She presses a hand between his shoulderblades, firm and grounding.

"Let's go find Kimball," she says.

They push their way through the crowd, eventually linking hands so they don't get separated. The ground is damp and slippery with fallen leaves underfoot, and strangers and acquaintances alike keep trying to push drinks into their hands or embrace them. Tucker takes a plastic cup full of something a deep, lurid pink. Carolina tries to make it clear that she's judging him through the power of her eyebrows.

When they find her, Vanessa's perched up on a decorative stone wall, long legs dangling just above the grass. There're surprisingly few people around her, just the lieutenants sitting on the steps up to the front door of the building, playing some sort of drinking game. Carolina notices, amused, that Jensen and Bitters are hording their own expensive looking bottle on the top step. Someone has put a flower in Palomo's hair. Vanessa's clutching a bottle of water between both hands. She looks a little dazed, like the enormity of the day's events has just struck her.

Carolina drops Tucker's hand to jog up to stand in front of Vanessa, dropping her hands to either side of her hips against the wall.

"We did it," she says, and then repeats it, the syllables bouncing off her tongue like a mantra, like the victory relies on belief to make it real.

"We did," Vanessa says weakly. "We won."

Tucker comes up to lean with his back against the wall, shoulder swaying to rest against Vanessa's. "We're awesome," he says, grinning and holding up a hand. Carolina delivers the high five once it becomes apparent Vanessa's not going to. She catches his fingers on the way down and holds on. It's an impulsive gesture, but letting go a minute before had left her feeling strangely unanchored, like she was missing something.

"You two," Vanessa says. "Your hair. What did you do?"

Tucker grins wide enough to make his eyes squinch up. "We had to match out of armour, too," he says.

Carolina nods as seriously as she can. "Team cohesion."

Vanessa blinks. "It's very... colourful. You do know that's not coming out until it grows out?"

Carolina shrugs. "New era, right? Maybe it was time for a change."

Vanessa lifts a hand and ruffles her fingers through Tucker's hair, staring at the bright strands. He leans into it, head tipping against her palm, exposing his neck. Carolina has the sudden ridiculous urge to bight down right on that exposed skin, to press her mouth against his pulse point. Instead, she steps in closer so that her legs are pressed up against Vanessa's. She's invading her personal space, but the General doesn't seem to mind.

Behind them, Smith laughs, sudden and loud and honest. Kimball shivers, once, hard, like she's been hit by a chill, then she sets down the water bottle so she's got both hands free. She rests the hand not involved with Tucker's hair on the wall beside her, then moves it to her lap, then, carefully, she reaches out and rests it lightly against the side of Carolina's rib cage. Carolina covers Vanessa's hand with her own and presses it more firmly against herself. Vanessa smiles, almost shyly. With each breath the bruising on Carolina's ribs shoots tiny jolts of pain dancing across her nerves. She knows if Vanessa knew she would pull away, so she's careful to keep any hint of it off her face. She doesn't think she knows how to articulate the way the deliberate touch transforms the tiny shocks of pain pushing their way through the adrenaline and the drugs into something closer to pleasure.

Vanessa looks at both of them, stares down at her hands where they touch each of them. She shivers again.

"It's over," she says softly. Carolina grins.

"It's over. We can start to rebuild."

Vanessa opens her mouth, closes it. Her fingers clench against Carolina's side briefly. Carolina sucks in a breath and squeezes Tucker's hand hard. Before Vanessa notices the reaction Carolina moves to Vanessa's free side, boosting herself up to sit pressed up close against her side. Her skin is cool, in sharp contrast to Carolina's or even Tucker's. Tucker waves his hand sadly in midair until Carolina reaches over Vanessa to reclaim it. His head has migrated to Vanessa's shoulder, and she's gone from playing with his hair to simply draping her arm over his shoulders. Carolina wants to stretch out on top of the wall and put her head in Vanessa's lap, but she suspects that rough stone against her ribs will very quickly create the bad kind of pain. She mirrors Tucker instead, letting her head fall against Vanessa's shoulder. Her arms are mostly muscle and bone, so it's not actually as comfortable as Tucker's making it out to be with his blissed out little smile, but Carolina likes the feel of the cloth of Vanessa's sleeve against her cheek, the smell of soap and antiseptic and chai that clings to Vanessa's skin.

"Wow, General. Looks like you've been adopted," someone calls out. Carolina doesn't recognize the man weaving his way through the crowd towards them, but Vanessa's still relaxed against her.

"It does look that way, doesn't it?" Vanessa says. "They followed me home, I swear."

"I think that's more true than you know," he says. And then, "My God, Vanessa. We've won."

Vanessa laughs, and she pulls Carolina and Tucker closer. "Yes, Sasha. We really have, haven't we?"

"There's a New Republic flag flying over the Legislature in Armonia," he says softly. "This is. Everything. Ramya and Robert would've been very proud of you."

Vanessa goes entirely still, very briefly. "I wish they could've been here to see it."

"Well," he says with a small chuckle. "My family would say they are looking down on us from Heaven. Yours would say they may have already returned, I think. Not much help for cynics like you and I, but perhaps a reassurance nonetheless."

"Maybe," says Vanessa. "And just because the flag is there today doesn't mean things are going to be easy tomorrow."

"No, but now we all know we are capable of taking on a threat on the level of global catastrophe. Suddenly politics doesn't seem that bad."

Vanessa snorts. "That's because you don't have to deal with it."

Carolina loses track of the conversation for a moment, distracted by the bracelets on Vanessa's wrist, sparkling silvers and blues in the sunset, innocuous against the bland backdrop of her fatigues. Carolina breathes in and presses her face against Vanessa's shoulder. The stillness is starting to drag her back down towards reality, physical aches and pains and exhaustion pushing against the dream-like rush of the party. She braces her feet against the wall and kicks off, landing lightly a couple feet away, one arm stretched out behind her where she and Tucker are still holding on to each other. Vanessa's friend has faded back into the crowd, and Carolina bounces a few times on her toes before she tugs at Tucker.

"Come on, come on. Vanessa, you should be mingling."

"Should I?" Vanessa asks, half bemused, half reluctant. Tucker sort of flops away from Vanessa, shaking himself like a dog once he's standing fully upright.

"Your adoring public awaits," he says. Carolina swings their hands between them.

Vanessa slides down to the ground, straightens her jacket. She's taller than Carolina and Tucker both --not a difficult feat, admittedly-- and Carolina's brain offers up the observation that having to look slightly up at her is kind of nice. Carolina mentally rolls her eyes at herself.

They walk behind Vanessa through the crowd. Someone has finally managed to broadcast music through the building's outdoor speakers, and the familiar beats compete with the exuberant hubbub of voices and clink of bottles. Most of the people they pass have a warm greeting or grateful word for Kimball, and a surprising number recognize Carolina and Tucker as well and are eager to share their enthusiastic joy. Eventually they get back to where the Reds and Blues are still gathered together under a cluster of trees. Vanessa settles in to talk for a few minutes. Carolina finds herself drawn back to Vanessa like a magnet, leaning up against her back and looping arms around her waist loosely. Tucker flops down in the grass in front of Vanessa and leans his back against her legs.

"Wow," Grif says at one point. "What'd you do to them?"

"I found them like this," Vanessa says, amused.

"We won, motherfucker," Tucker says. "We deserve to chill."

"We were the best," Carolina adds, and then, generously, "all of us."

"Wow, thanks," Grif says flatly.

"You were, though," Vanessa says. "You were all incredible. You all went above and beyond what anyone could've expected of you. I-- we can never repay you."

"Yeah, you guys were OK," Tucker says. "But secretly she means me and Carolina kicked ass."

"Best," Carolina repeats cheerfully. "And I guess you were OK, Tucker."

"That's enough, you two," Vanessa says. "I mean it. Thank you all."

Everyone is quiet. Finally, Grif blows out a breath. "Yeeaahhh, so we don't actually know what to do with like, serious emotions and stuff? So just... whatever we should've done there to show appreciation, pretend we did that."

Sarge grunts agreement and Wash looks visibly relieved. Kimball chuckles. "As long as you know you're appreciated. I should probably keep moving, though. I've been informed I need to mingle."

Tucker bounces to his feet and Carolina disentangles herself from Vanessa. Donut waves cheerfully from where he's sprawled out with his head in Doc's lap.

"You three have a good night!" he chirps. "Use protection!"

"And make sure Carolina doesn't do any more damage to her ribs!" Emily adds.

Carolina drags Vanessa away to Grif's groans of slowly-dawning horror. Once they've left the legislature grounds and are out in the street, working their way through hastily set up tables and chairs spread out over the sidewalks and road, Vanessa clears her throat.

"What Donut said," she says, carefully.

"Dibs," says Tucker. Carolina elbows him.

"You can't dibs sex, asshole."

Vanessa snorts. "So is that a yes? From both of you?"

Carolina raises her hand. "I'm in. Though I feel like I need to clarify that we had no intention of seducing you."

"Surprisingly true," Tucker agrees, ducking under a banner. I actually haven't really considered sexy times with you guys until tonight."

"Bullshit," Carolina says.

"Well OK, I kind of meant I haven't considered them with Kimball, but I didn't want to be an asshole."

"It's all right," Vanessa says. "I haven't considered you, either, if that makes you feel better. And technically, you're both under my command... it's not particularly ethical."

"Oh come on," Tucker objects. "I know you and Carolina have been talking about fucking for like, months."

"Not untrue," Carolina agrees, nudging Vanessa gently. "It's not an issue, Vanessa. We've been over this."

Vanessa bights her lip, glances away. Somewhere down the street, someone cheers and there's the loud chiming of glasses being toasted. They've stopped in the middle of the sidewalk but no one seems to mind, the crowd parting around them and reforming once past. Finally, Vanessa's shoulders fall and she nods crisply.

"You're right," she says. "Beginning of a new era."

"Your apartment isn't too far from here," Carolina says immediately.

"Oh thank God," Tucker says. Vanessa laughs.

"I thought I was mingling?"

"Oh you will be," Carolina says. Tucker wiggles his eyebrows.

Vanessa shakes her head. "That doesn't even--"

"The celebration isn't going to end any time soon," Carolina says. "You won't be missed for a couple hours."

"Hey n--" Tucker starts, but Carolina kicks him in the shin.

"Don't make promises you can't keep."

"I'm offended. Also what the fuck, I'm gonna have a massive bruise. Didn't anybody teach you Freelancers to use your words?"

"They taught us to be efficient. Don't be a baby."

Vanessa says "Is the bickering just going to continue all night?"

Tucker shrugs. He's walking backwards in front of them, which is a terrible plan, and Vanessa reaches out a hand to his shoulder to guide him. "It's part of our charm. An admittedly small part, but still. Food to the left, Carolina."

Carolina follows his pointing and sees the relatively empty cafe to her right. "Yes," she says, and starts making her way across the street.

"What?" Vanessa asks.

"Food," Tucker says. "Gotta keep up our energy. And Carolina gets grumpy when she doesn't eat."

"I'm sorry, maybe you'd like to try having a chemically enhanced metabolism so you can fight even more bad guys."

"All night," says Vanessa flatly. Carolina gives her a thumbs up.

"Unless you can find a way to shut us up."

Vanessa's lips curve up, just slightly. "Was that a request, Carolina?"

Carolina almost stumbles on the curb. When she looks up, Tucker is watching her with a mix of curiosity and anticipation. "If you work very hard you might even get a please," she says, and ducks into the cafe.

Vanessa presses in close behind her while she's in line, hands resting on her waist. "I don't think I'll have to try that hard," she says, casual and low. Carolina shivers.

Vanessa gets drawn away by a group of enthusiastic students, and Tucker steps up beside Carolina immediately. His eyebrows are half way up his forehead.

"Really?" he asks under his breath.

"Sometimes," Carolina says. "For the right people. Like you wouldn't let her top the shit out of you."

"Oh man," Tucker mutters. "I mean, I can see it now, but I would've never guessed."

They step forward in line. Carolina glares. "Are you done?"

Tucker holds up his hands. "Ok, OK. I'm done. For now. And uh, yes, in response to your question. I mean, yeah. Like you."

She smirks. "Didn't anybody teach you to use your words?"

He flips her off. "Yes, I'm totally down to sub for Kimball. I mean, hello? Obviously."

"I'd give the pun a five out of ten."

"I'm a little distracted, OK?"

"Gotta stay focused, come on."

"We can't all be freakishly obsessive like you."

"I prefer goal oriented."

"I bet Kimball does, too."

She gives him the fist bump. Grudgingly.

They take the food to go and eat on the way back to Vanessa's apartment. It's a long walk, and by the time they get to the streets around her building everywhere is eerily deserted. The sun has disappeared behind the mountains, and in the dim twilight the trees that loom over the roadways seem to wrap them in a muted sort of secrecy, walls and branches making hidden passageways out of streets that are mundane by daylight.

Vanessa's building is old, thin carpets in narrow hallways that smell of damp and mildew, standard strip lighting that flickers and crackles softly overhead. Carolina's spent many late nights here pouring over paperwork and working papers and historical records. Once in the apartment, Vanessa's shoulders begin to curl in with uncertainty.

Carolina kisses her. It's brief --she knows she needs to brush her teeth to dispel the dry chemical aftertaste of pills and the spice of the curry-- but she takes advantage of Vanessa's surprise to walk her backwards toward the bedroom. Tucker's smiling big and ridiculous when she pulls back, and she waves for him to come closer. Vanessa's back is pressed up against the doorjamb between her room and the hallway, and by the time Carolina steps slightly aside to give Tucker room to kiss her she's gained enough traction on the situation to bring a hand up to tangle in his hair.

Carolina leaves them to duck into the washroom, splashing cold water on her face and rummaging shamelessly through the cupboards until she finds a bottle of mouth wash. She rinses, then strolls back into the hallway and lobs the bottle At Tucker's head. Vanessa catches it. They crowd past each other in the hallway and Carolina takes the opportunity to tug off her boots and socks while they're gone. She takes about three seconds to wonder if flopping on Vanessa's neatly-made bed is too forward, and then does it anyway, bouncing a bit on her back.

When Vanessa sees her she pauses in the doorway and her smile is too fond, too earnestly amazed for the circumstance. Carolina finds herself curling away, tries to make it into a casual shifting of position. Vanessa comes and sits on the edge of the bed. Tucker follows, folding to sit on the floor beside Vanessa's legs, twisted around so he can rest his chin on the bedspread. Vanessa reaches out to rest a hand on Carolina's shoulder.

"Hey," she says, gentle. "C'mhere." She exerts enough pressure against Carolina's shoulder to make her desire clear, though not enough to actually make Carolina move if she doesn't want to. Carolina rolls onto her back, riggles closer until she's lying diagonal across the bed with her shoulder against Vanessa's hip. Vanessa combs fingers through her hair, then drags her palm down over Carolina's neck and shoulder and breast, coming to rest on the hot skin at her rib cage where her shirt has ridden up.

"Gray wasn't kidding about your ribs," she says, ghosting fingertips over the colourful bruising.

"It's fine," Carolina says. "Honestly."

Vanessa seems ready to say something, but shakes her head slightly. "You OK getting your shirt off yourself?"

Carolina huffs. "It's a few bruised ribs, not two broken arms."

"Because that's what it would take, obviously," Tucker says dryly. Carolina pushes herself up on her elbows, ignoring him, and wrestles out of her shirt. After a second's consideration, she tugs her bra off as well.

Vanessa's bent awkwardly, kissing Tucker, and Carolina takes the opportunity to slide her hands under the general's shirt over the solid muscles and sharp bones of her back. Vanessa's straightens up enough for Carolina to drag the shirt up over her head. With a nod of permission from Vanessa, Tucker slides his hand up over her stomach to cup her breasts, thumbs flicking at her nipples in quick, sporadic motions.

Carolina slides off the bed with a put-upon sigh, circling around behind Tucker so she can get his damn shirt off, too. She's surprised by the tattoos, spiralling patterns spread out over his shoulderblades and upper back.

"I didn't know you had ink," she says, tracing one of the lines with a finger.

Tucker shrugs slightly, hands dropping to rest on Vanessa's thigh. "All part of the whole alien ambassadorial package."

She pulls her hand back. "The hinge heads did this to you?"

If she weren't watching the muscles of his shoulders she wouldn't have noticed the way he tenses up. "The Sangheili gave them to me, yeah."

"They're beautiful," Vanessa says. Carolina knee-walks around Tucker so she's beside him, not faced directly by the canvas aliens have made of his skin.

"Soooo," Tucker drawls, obviously trying to change the subject. "Now that you've got us, General, what're you gonna do with us?"

Carolina smirks, rocks back sitting on her heels to match Tucker's position. They both look up at Vanessa. Vanessa stares back. She looks suddenly very overwhelmed. Carolina stays still, wonders if they can wait this out.

"Well," she says, like she's trying to buy time or fill the silence. Her eyes flick down, then to the side. She clasps and unclasps her hands in her lap.

"We can certainly come up w--" Carolina starts, preparing to push herself up, but Vanessa reaches a hand out to push her back.

"You two haven't kissed yet," she says. "I think you should fix that."

Her voice is still a bit unsure, but Carolina can see her sliding slowly into something like her command mindset. Carolina turns toward Tucker and he meets her half way.

They make a show of it. She knows this is as much to give Vanessa a few seconds of privacy as it is to give her a show, but that doesn't mean she isn't going to give it her full effort. Tucker seems to feel the same way, and it doesn't take long until hands have entered the equation and they've advanced from kissing to lips and teeth on necks and jaws. Carolina is excellent at sex, as she is at many things, and it's deeply satisfying to find someone almost as good as she is. He drags the tip of his tongue over her pulse point and she shutters. She bights sharply at the place where his neck meets his shoulder and he moans, letting his head fall to the side in open invitation.

Vanessa clears her throat. "If you two could incorporate pants removal into this little show, that would make things a lot easier."

"Thinking ahead," Tucker says. "There's a reason your in charge."

"He meant of the army," Carolina says. "But I'm pretty sure it applies here, too."

"Definitely," he says, and flicks down the zipper on her pants.

Vanessa laughs under her breath. "Good to know there are transferable skills."

"So many," Carolina mutters, and then tackles Tucker backwards onto the carpet so she can drag his pants off. He squeaks indignantly. He tries to sit up before she's got his underwear off and she plants a hand in the middle of his chest and slams him back down, grinning. He groans.

"Jesus. Seriously, use your words."

She tosses his underwear into the corner and wraps a hand around his dick without preamble, giving it one firm stroke. "Still want me to use my words?"

"Hey, Carolina," Vanessa says. "Look at me." Carolina turns. "We're not Freelancers. Watch the roughhousing, OK?"

Carolina sits back, deliberately quashes the reactionary defensiveness and the follow-up shame, takes a couple deep breaths to centre herself. Vanessa's not upset, not even disapproving. Tucker doesn't look hurt.

"Ok," she says. Vanessa smiles and it feels like a reward.

"There are still too many pants," Tucker complains, nudging Carolina with his knee.

"Patience is a virtue," Carolina informs him cheerfully, but she pulls off her pants briskly nonetheless. She leaves her underwear on.

"Your face is a virtue. Is everybody good with traffic lights, by the way?"

Carolina waves a hand absently. "Yeah, that's fine."

Vanessa looks a little horrified. "Yes, yeah. Jesus, I should've started with a check in, I'm sorry."

Carolina sits on the bed, legs curled beneath her. "Whatever. Everybody knows what to yell if the building's burning down, good job team."

Vanessa and Tucker share a look. "I can't even think about having this conversation tonight," Tucker says. "Also I can't do blindfolds, which I only mention because I know it's a pretty basic thing. No, I don't wanna talk about it. Literally ever."

"Thank you for telling us," Vanessa says. "Carolina?"

"I'm fine," Carolina says. "There's nothing."

"It's-- I think--" Vanessa twists to look at Carolina. Carolina catches her hands in her own.

"Vanessa. I know what I'm doing. Believe me, if I want you to stop, you'll stop."

"Wow," Tucker says. "You can even make sex sound vaguely threatening. You continue to amaze me with your talents."

Vanessa still looks unsure, so Carolina leans in to brush their mouths together lightly. "I promise I know my limits," she says. "I know how to keep myself safe. You've got to trust me. It goes both ways."

Vanessa nods, and uses a hand at the back of Carolina's head to pull her in for a deeper kiss, holding her in place until she draws away.

Carolina looks down at Tucker where he's sat up and watching them intently. "Hey, Tucker. Since you're down there..." She reaches over and unbuttons Vanessa's pants.

Vanessa catches her wrist in a tight grip. "Did I ask for your help?"

The quiet, even tone of her voice makes everything she says sound almost mild, but there's an underlying shift when she's using her command voice. "No," Carolina says. "Sorry."

Vanessa's thumb rubs absent circles on the underside of Carolina's wrist. Energy fizzes under Carolina's skin and even with Vanessa's hand on her it's taking a conscious effort to keep still.

"That being said," Vanessa adds. "Your idea isn't exactly without merit. She presses Carolina's hand down on the blanket firmly and lets go, standing up just long enough to squirm out of her pants and underwear. Settling back down on the edge of the bed with her legs spread, she holds out a hand to Tucker. "Since you're down there..."

He grins. "Awesome."

Vanessa looks at Carolina, reaches out to squeeze her hand. "Up on your knees, Carolina. Hands behind your back and keep them there until I say otherwise."

Carolina scrambles up to her knees, sinking a bit into the mattress. She clasps her fingers together at the small of her back and focuses on her breathing. She's got a perfect view of Tucker as he nuzzles at Vanessa's inner thigh, brings a hand up to spread the wetness around her labia and clit, and finally ducks to press his tongue into her and drag it back out. He presses in closer, pushing the flat of his tongue against her so she can rock against his mouth. Her hands pet through his hair, careful to stay light until he uses his free hand to press her hand more firmly against the back of his head.

Carolina's fingers twitch and she pushes her palms together. She can feel the muscles in her shoulders getting tight, the way her legs flex against the blankets. She clenches her jaw, tries to focus in on what's happening in front of her. She can hear her blood pounding in her ears.

"Carolina," Vanessa says. She pulls Tucker back, brushes hair off his forehead and rubs at the back of his neck, but her eyes are on Carolina. "What's wrong?"

Carolina has to work to unclench her jaw. "Nothing."

Vanessa reaches out and rests a hand on the side of her neck. "Try again."

Carolina snarls out a frustrated breath. "I can't-- I can't do this on my own. I need... if you can just tie my wrists, that's enough, I just need something. There's too much, I need to be able to fight against something that isn't myself." It's the first time she's actually articulated that last out loud and it leaves her feeling raw and exposed.

Vanessa strokes her arm. "Of course, Carolina. If you ever need something, you only have to ask, OK? I'm glad you told me."

"How about this?" Tucker calls. He's over by the door and he's holding up a gold and purple scarf that Carolina has definitely never seen Vanessa wear.

"That's great," Vanessa says. Tucker comes back over, still on his knees, and hands it over. "Turn around."

She presses against Carolina's shoulder to turn her, and once Carolina's got her back to her she doesn't break contact, sliding the hand down Carolina's spine to gently pry her fingers apart. The material of the scarf is soft, and Vanessa secures her wrists as tightly as she can without risking circulation problems. When Carolina turns back to face her the long ends of the scarf trail over her legs. Vanessa glances down thoughtfully, then stands up, stepping to the head of the bed and gathering up the loose ends. With a couple quick tugs, she knots the scarf around a bedpost, effectively securing Carolina in place. Carolina exhales, feels her shoulders loosen. She lets herself pull against the bindings and the unyielding resistance brings with it a rush of safety.

"Is that better?" Vanessa asks. Carolina nods.

For a few minutes everything is quiet but for Vanessa's soft gasps and murmured encouragement and the wet sound of Tucker's mouth on her cunt. Carolina sees it when Vanessa's close, her mouth hangs open and her back arches, her hips moving franticly against Tucker's mouth. She's quiet when she comes, just a sharp exhale, and she releases her grip on his hair right away, smoothing the messy strands back down when he pulls back far enough to rest his cheek against her thigh.

"Come up here," she says, shifting over closer to Carolina to make room for him on the bed. Tucker scrambles up beside her, flopping down on his stomach, rubbing his jaw absently. Vanessa turns slightly to study Carolina, a thoughtful tilt to her eyebrows.

"What do you need?" she asks. She rests a hand on Carolina's knee, stroking the skin absently. Carolina frowns. She's not sure what Vanessa wants to hear.

"It's not a test," Tucker says, rolling on his side and propping his head on his hand. He looks content and soft, eyes gone heavy-lidded. "There's no right answer. Communication is sexy: a true fact and also the name of Donut's self-published guide to romance, so that's a thing."

Carolina ignores that last part for her own wellbeing. "It's better if I have something to do. I need to know what you want."

"Goal oriented," says Tucker, and Carolina nods furiously.

Vanessa's expression cycles through emotions too fast for Carolina to parse. "That's very understandable," she says. Again, Carolina gets the feeling there's more she isn't saying. "Tucker, sit up, legs apart."

She clambers around Carolina, staying on the bed this time, and unties the scarf from the bedpost. "Gonna untie your wrists," she says. Carolina nods. Vanessa wraps her hands around Carolina's wrists once the scarf has fallen away, guiding them down to her sides and letting go in increments.

Carolina waits still on her knees. Vanessa traces fingertips over her lips, down her jaw and across her throat until she reaches her breasts, flicking at one nipple then moving to the other. She catches Carolina's eye and pinches down, quick and hard. Carolina shutters.

"That OK?"

"Yes," Carolina says, fast. "Definitely."

Vanessa nods, but instead of repeating the action she drops her hand to between Carolina's legs, pushing two fingers under her underwear with no warning, dragging them through the wetness she finds there and then pulling away.

"You're pretty wet," she observes, like commenting on the weather, then brings those same fingers back to Carolina's mouth, pressing firmly at her lips until Carolina takes them in, licking her own taste from Vanessa's skin. Leaving her fingers resting on Carolina's tongue, Vanessa keeps talking. "Ok. This actually works out well. I think Tucker deserves a reward, and you're going to give it to him. Eventually."

She pulls her fingers out of Carolina's mouth and guides her to sit behind Tucker, her legs stretched out to bracket his. Spread open like this her underwear brushes up against her clit with each movement, but when she tries to slide close enough to press herself against Tucker Vanessa shakes her head and nudges her back.

"You haven't earned that yet," she says. Carolina shivers.

Tucker's cock looks painfully hard, and when she draws a finger up the shaft he twitches. Vanessa crouches beside them on the bed, watching. close enough that she can reach out and touch either of them.

"I want you to make him come," she says. "But not until I say so. You can do whatever you want, but you make sure he doesn't' come until I give permission."

"Jesus Christ," tucker says weakly. Carolina settles her chin on his shoulder and drags her fingernails over his nipple. He moans.

"Good," Vanessa says, smiling. "Keep going."

Carolina wraps her hand around his dick and uses the other to keep playing with his nipples. He's incredibly responsive, and it doesn't take long before his head is tipped back resting against her shoulder and he's babbling encouragement and pleas and moans. He shutters against her, squirming, pressing up into her hands and just as quickly trying to pull away. Vanessa reaches out a hand to tip his face toward her, and Carolina leans up to get a look. His eyes are blown, teeth digging into his lower lip. Carolina knows she's the only one with skin light enough to really show a blush, but there's a faint deepening of colour spreading down his chest and his nipples are swollen.

Vanessa covers Carolina's hand with her own over his cock briefly, then slides her hand up the length of Carolina's arm and behind her shoulder, settling with her palm and fingers wrapped around the back of her neck. She's not exerting any pressure, but her hold is firm enough that Carolina has to work to keep herself from going limp and pliable.

"Oh," Vanessa says, softly. "That's... Good to know."

Carolina scrapes her teeth over the side of Tucker's neck where she'd bitten earlier. Her cheeks are hot. Tucker jerks hard against her arms, starts pushing up purposefully into her hand.

"Not yet," Vanessa says, speaking to Carolina.

Carolina pulls her hands away, then sets one on his chest, holding him still. He swears softly, but doesn't resist. Vanessa nods approval.

Once Tucker's calmed down, Carolina goes back to touching him. Vanessa leans in to kiss him. It's strange, watching from so close as her tongue sweeps into his mouth, being able to feel the soft puffs of air from both of them when she pulls back. He doesn't even try to follow, just lies against Carolina and trembles.

"Ok," Vanessa says. Her hand tightens on the back of Carolina's neck. "Make him come."

Carolina firms her strokes over his cock, speeds up. She flicks his nipple between her fingers and sucks hard at that abused bit of skin at the juncture of neck and shoulder. It takes maybe fifteen seconds before he's pulsing over her hand, his whole body shaking hard with his orgasm. She holds him through it, easing him down with a few last strokes.

Vanessa helps her manoeuvre Tucker to the side of the bed, where he sprawls out bonelessly, cheek smushed into the pillow. Vanessa's eyes, when she looks up, have gone dark.

"On your back," she says. "Get your underwear off."

Carolina scrambles to comply, kicking her underwear off and falling back to lie beside tucker. Vanessa crouches down at the side of the bed. "Legs apart," she says. Carolina shifts. When she touches Carolina there's no hesitation, no teasing. She presses two fingers inside of her in one firm stroke at the same time she uses her other hand to drag her nails across the bruising over Carolina's ribs. Carolina arches up hard. Vanessa keeps her fingers still inside of her, her palm pressing up against Carolina's clit.

"Tucker," she says. "Put your leg over hers." Then, to Carolina, "I want you to stay still. Consider it a challenge."

Tucker's still mostly out of it, but he settles a leg over Carolina's, pinning it down. Vanessa pulls her fingers out and presses back in with three, setting up a relentless rhythm. She pinches Carolina's nipples, hard, one after the other with no pause. Carolina's skin is tight over bones and muscle, but Vanessa somehow manages to find enough to pinch between her fingertips, leaving tiny sparks of pain in random patterns over Carolina's chest and torso and thighs. Carolina tips her hips forward, trying to get more pressure on her clit, and Vanessa shifts the angle of her hand to accommodate. Carolina can feel a whine building in the back of her throat, tries to push up closer to Vanessa's fingertips.

"Do you want her to pinch harder?" Tucker asks softly. It's nothing like dirty talk, and the honest curiosity has Carolina humming a desperate affirmative before she can stop herself.

Vanessa frowns, but it's more thoughtful than concerned. She catches a bit of skin between her nails and twists sharply. Carolina's cunt pulses hard on her fingers. She leans in, licks softly over the bit of skin she's just hurt. Carolina squirms impatiently. Vanessa pushes down with a hand across her collar bones and brings her mouth up to Carolina's shoulder. She bights-- not hard enough to break the skin, maybe not even enough to leave marks, but she holds it for long seconds, stilling the fingers inside of Carolina and using her thumb to rub in quick, hard motions on her clit. Carolina breathes through the pain, lets go of the instinctual urge to get away, rides higher on the mix of unrelenting sensation. Vanessa pulls away from her shoulder in the first seconds of Carolina's orgasm, and her free hand cups Carolina's jaw and turns her face towards her firmly, so she can watch Carolina fall apart on her fingers.

Carolina shakes in the comedown, tiny shivers that rush through her muscles with no warning. Vanessa pulls her hands away, climbs up on the bed. Carolina's about to sit up, but Vanessa pushes her back down. She straddles Carolina, bracing herself over her with a hand beside Carolina's head. Her other hand presses back between Carolina's legs, gentle brushes at first as Carolina squirms and gasps.

"I can't," she grits out, but Vanessa leans in to feather kisses over her cheeks and mouth.

"Yes you can. You're so good, Carolina. You've done so well. It's OK, just relax. Take what I give you."

Carolina falls back against the pillow, watches Vanessa through half-closed eyes as the other woman coaxes her to a second orgasm with gentle strokes. She feels like she's floating away, but Vanessa's weight on top of her keeps her anchored. She reaches out with her hand until she finds Tucker's, interlinking their fingers in a motion that has somehow become automatic in a few short hours. Vanessa keeps talking, praise and reassurance and affection that washes over Carolina like a river-- cool and soothing but triggering the animal instinct to kick for the surface. Carolina ignores it, lets herself sink, comes a second time with a soft sigh and Vanessa's lips brushing hers.

After, Carolina falls asleep. She wakes briefly to the feel of a warm washcloth, then again to a crash of thunder from outside. Vanessa and Tucker are lying on their sides facing each other, talking softly. Carolina marvels at her ability to choose bed partners who fail to understand that, if there is a bed available, post-orgasm time is always naptime. Vanessa notices that she's awake and makes her drink a bottle of water before she lets her go back to sleep. She's starting to feel the aches and pains of the injuries she's sustained over the past week, but the combination of contentment and exhaustion is overwhelming, and with the soft murmur of their voices and the familiar drum of raindrops on the windows, Carolina sleeps.


End file.
